Linkinhorne History and Community Archive will use the funding to research fully the history of the area and to locate the precise position of the manor house.

Rillaton Manor is acknowledged as one of the most important medieval settlements in the region, and may fall within the lands left to Aethelweald, son of Oswald as indicated in the 881AD will of Alfred the Great.

There are a number of documents relating to the manor in the Cornwall Record Office at Truro, and project volunteers will also visit the National Archives at Kew and the Duchy of Cornwall Archive in London for further research.

Linkinhorne History and Community Archive chairman Mike Todd, who leads an enthusiastic team of local volunteers, explained that the project aims to locate the exact site of the manor house and associated buildings, including an apothecary's garden, by using geophysics and test pits if required. "A full dig is unlikely to be necessary because the house was robbed out and the stone used elsewhere in the village," said Mr Todd. "Pieces of this stone have been located and identified and confirm the belief locally that the house may have been of a style and size comparable to Cotehele on the banks of the River Tamar. It was clearly an incredibly important property hereabouts because without the manor, the whole community of Rillaton and Rilla Mill would not have existed.

"This project is of enormous interest to people locally and is also important to understanding the medieval history of Cornwall as a whole. As part of the initiative we intend to produce a mobile exhibition which can be taken to other history groups, local shows and schools."

The parish of Linkinhorne covers an area of East Cornwall north of Liskeard and includes the settlements of Rilla Mill, Upton Cross, Plushabridge, Henwood and Minions, as well as Linkinhorne itself.

"We are thrilled to have received this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund," said Mike Todd. "By undertaking thorough research of this important site we will be better able to understand the history of our area and to pass this knowledge on to later generations."

Commenting on the grant award, Richard Bellamy, HLF Head of South West, said: "Nowadays South East Cornwall is perhaps best known for its maritime and industrial heritage, but it also has a rich history stretching back to the Iron Age and beyond. We are delighted to be supporting the volunteers from the Linkinhorne History and Community Archive with their work to uncover an important part of that history, revealing and helping other people to understand the origins of their local community.”

Notes to editors

Linkinhorne History and Community Archive group provides assistance to people with an interest in local and family/personal history. Collections held by members are currently being digitised and catalogued to enable them to be published on the group’s website in order to make them available worldwide. Monthly meetings are held to discuss members' findings and to gain knowledge from visiting speakers.

Further information

Interviews and images, contact the project manager, Kathy Wallis on 01579 363 505 / 0759 522 0806, email: kathy.wallis@nasuwt.net.